This invention relates to the field of diving suits and more particularly, to diving suits known as "dry suits".
Diving suits include suits generally known as "wet suits" and "dry suits". The former are suits made of thermally insultaing rubberized material, generally close fitting to the body, and adapted so that a thin layer of water exists between the suit and the wearer's body. The suit once wet, does not exchange much water, thus the thin layer of water adjacent the wearer's body does not dissipate much heat.
Dry suits, in contradistinction to wet suits, are more effective in conserving body heat especially in extremely cold water conditions. The dry suit is a relatively loose fitting, watertight suit, which is adapted to be worn over relatively heavy, thermally protective insulating underwear. In the dry suit, the diver's skin does not get wet. Examples of dry suits are shown in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,569,451; Smith 3,444,570; O'Neill 3,731,319; and Doerschuk, et al. 4,365,351.
Dry diving suits tend to experience their greatest wear in the area of the knee and lower leg. If the diver gets on his knees, the front of the leg portion tends to abrade. Also, working underwater often provides circumstances whereby the back of the leg portion is subject to abrasion. Prior art suits attempted to solve this problem by applying a pad or other piece of protective material mainly over the knee area.
In prior art suits, such a knee pad was attached to the leg portion by exterior seams which wore out quickly. Also, it was difficult properly to locate the pad with respect to the leg of the garment during fabrication prior to seaming the leg. If the pad were not precisely positioned, when the leg was seamed, the pad was often out of place, as for example, being located somewhat to the side of the knee or above or below it.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a dry diving suit with a protective piece for the leg portion thereof which will extend completely around the leg portion, providing a double layer, but which will present no seam in a location which will be subject to wear.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a suit that will facilitate attachment of such a protective and eliminate production sewing and fabricating problems.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a dry diving suit wherein the leg portion together with the protective piece is fabricated longitudinally only at the inseam.